Chattogram EPZ factory fire under control after 17 hours

Efforts to fully extinguish the flames, which erupted around 2pm on Thursday, are still ongoing

Emergency workers have taken control of a devastating fire that broke out at a factory building in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (EPZ) area nearly 17 hours after it started.

The blaze, which erupted around 2pm on Thursday, was brought under control around 7:25am on Friday, according to the Fire Service's Agrabad Control Room. However, efforts to fully extinguish the fire are still ongoing.

As of 11am, 17 firefighting units were still working to douse the remaining flames, the Fire Service added.

The fire originated in a multi-storey building on Road 5 of Sector 1 in the EPZ area. The building houses two companies -- Adams Cap and Textile Ltd and Jiehong Medical Company.

Fire Service officials said the eight-storey building had an unused top floor with a tin ceiling. The seventh floor contained the warehouses of Adams Cap and Jiehong Medical, from where the fire is believed to have started.

Adams Cap produces towels and caps, while Jiehong Medical manufactures surgical gowns and other medical equipment.

At the time of the fire, most workers had left the building for their lunch break, allowing them to evacuate safely.

Citing factory authorities, Fire Service officials said no workers were inside the building when the blaze erupted.

In addition to the Fire Service, firefighting teams from the Bangladesh Navy joined the operation, with the Army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) offering logistical support.

Witnesses said that on Thursday night, the ceilings of the top two or three floors had melted and collapsed. The fire later spread down to the lower floors of the structure.

Crowds gathered around the site, but the intense heat prevented people from getting close. Firefighters sprayed water from one side to contain the blaze, while flames continued to spread on the other.

The towering flames and black smoke were visible from various parts of Chattogram. Rain began after 10pm, but it did not last long enough to make a significant difference.

The Fire Service said it had yet to determine the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage. Officials said details would be available once the extinguishing operation was complete.